A quacking duck ringtone interrupted Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. mid-sentence during an autism safety speech.
Kennedy was speaking Friday in Rochester, Minnesota, at an event announcing a new federal initiative to protect autistic individuals who wander from safe settings.
The Department of Health and Human Services launched the program in partnership with the Department of Justice and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to the announcement.
"Quack, quack, quack," could be heard coming from the secretary's pocket.
Kennedy reached into his jacket to silence the phone.
But bringing the phone closer to the microphone only made the quacking louder.
"Quack," the phone emitted again. "Quack."
"Sorry about that," Kennedy said, before attempting to continue.
"Quack," the phone rang out a final time before he could continue.
It was not the first time Kennedy's duck ringtone has derailed an official event. His phone went off with the same sound during a White House press briefing on new dietary guidelines in January, Fox News reported, drawing laughs from reporters and a quip from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
Kennedy returned to his remarks after silencing the phone Friday.
"When an autistic person goes missing, responders need to move immediately. They need to know how he communicates, what risks they face, and where to search first, including nearby bodies of water and other high-risk areas," he said.
The interruption came as Kennedy was detailing the deadly stakes of the initiative.
"Eight autistic people die following wandering incidents each month, and drowning is the leading cause of death associated with wandering. Children with autism are 100 times more likely to drown than neurotypical children," Kennedy said.
The announcement established a national framework of best practices for responding when autistic individuals go missing, with a focus on wandering and accidental drowning.
